Kalyn Michele: December 2015

“Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.” -John Grogan

My mother-in-law is a strong woman who challenges herself daily and is always up for an adventure. When we approached her with the question of whether or not she would be interested in taking in the dogs until we got settled in Germany, she let us know within 24 hours that she had thought about it and couldn't say no. As a woman of the road, she housed Skylar and Nahla along with her own black lab in her RV. Those three dogs were her companions and made the journey across the U.S. with her. We knew it was a lot to ask of her to take care of our girls, but she did it without complaint and put her all into making sure they were given the best life she could possibly give them. While she visited us, the dogs followed her to bed each and every night and remained by her side. That right there showed us the bond they all formed in half a year and the loyalty they felt towards her. Thank you, Amy, for loving our dogs as much as we do and giving them plenteous exercise and affection.

Those six months eased our transition from Colorado to Germany and gave us the freedom to come and go as we pleased without having to think twice about arranging care or checking our watches to rush home and let them out. It also gave us an extremely clean house, one free of the dog hair that never seems to disappear no matter how often we run the vacuum.. To the golden doodle owner, you made the right decision. What that time apart didn't give us was the sense of calmness that a good dog can bring to a home. We missed their gentle spirits that lend so much love and happiness and their eager hello as they greet us at the front door with kisses and wagging tails. Brecken says, "puppies!" every morning as he wakes up, beaming from ear to ear as he stands in his crib waiting for them to make their appearance. They have completed our family again and although the work load has increased and flexibility decreased, we made a commitment to them as puppies and we wouldn't dare turn our backs on their loyal souls now.

Below are a few pictures from their first trip to Strasbourg, France. They were so well behaved and even laid under an outdoor cafe table as we indulged in fried camembert. I also added a few recent pictures of Breck and his puppies, living the good life together.

Itinerary 1 Day trip to Strasbourg